Palace shrugs off probe vs Paolo Duterte by Ombudsman

May 9, 2018

Malacanang shrugged off on Wednesday the investigation being conducted against former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte by the Office of the Ombudsman.

This was after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has said that the presidential son was not yet off the hook even if the complaint against him in relation to the P6.4-billion shabu shipment in the country was dismissed.

"The Office of the Ombudsman has the power to investigate on its own and initiate proper action against public officers," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

"We see this as part of the Ombudsman’s constitutional mandate to ensure public accountability," he said.

Carpio did not say why Duterte is being investigated.

But the Ombudsman said she is not taking part in the probe because Manases Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and sister of Paolo, is her nephew.

The Ombudsman previously dismissed the complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte and other members of his family on their alleged ill-gotten wealth after the Anti-Money Laundering Council refused to provide their bank transactions. Celerina Monte/DMS